Karatu
Umar Rufai Book iPhoneiPadiPod touch
Karatu is a free Book app for iPhone and iPad by Umar Rufai. Requires iOS 17.0. Updated May 5, 2026.
- Price
- Free
- on the App Store
- Size
- 2 MB
- Age 17+
- Updated
- May 5
- 2026 · v1.0.1
Screenshots
About Karatu
Karatu is a native iOS reader where you bring your own sources. The app does not ship with a built-in catalog or library. Instead, you install small JavaScript source plug-ins from public repositories — exactly the same model as a media-server client like Plex or Jellyfin. The app is the reader; the content backend is up to you. WHAT KARATU GIVES YOU - A native iOS reader. Vertical (webtoon) and horizontal (paged) modes, pinch-zoom, double-tap to reset, tap-to-toggle full-screen, auto-advance to the next chapter. - Per-page bookmarks, grouped by series. - Offline downloads. Background URLSession keeps fetches running when the app is suspended; per-chapter status lives on the manga detail screen with a one-tap "Download all chapters." - A real library. Sort by recently-read, recently-added, title, or chapters-read. Filter by currently-reading, has-downloads, unread-chapters-available, or by source. - Reading history with per-chapter resume. Pick up exactly where you left off. - Reading-time stats. Daily totals, current streak, longest streak, total time. Stored locally; nothing is sent anywhere. - A clean settings screen with storage usage, per-source breakdown, and one-tap reset. WHAT KARATU DOES NOT DO - Ship sources. You provide them. - Send any data anywhere. Karatu has no accounts, no telemetry, no third-party SDKs, no ads. The privacy manifest declares zero data collection. - Verify, host, distribute, or endorse any source or repository. You are solely responsible for the content you choose to load. FOR DEVELOPERS Karatu's source SDK is a tiny JavaScript runtime: fetch, console.log, and registerSource. Sources implement four async methods (getPopular, search, getMangaDetails, getChapterPages) and return ordinary JSON. Anyone can write a source and host the manifest as a public file. See the project documentation for the full SDK contract. PRIVACY All app state — library, history, bookmarks, downloads, stats — is stored locally on your device. Karatu makes network requests only to URLs you have explicitly configured. There are no analytics, no tracking pixels, no third-party libraries that phone home. Uninstalling the app removes every byte. REQUIREMENTS iOS 17 or later. iPhone only.
What’s new
Version 1.0.1 · Updated May 5, 2026
• Downloaded chapters now open without an internet connection. The reader and library both fall back to your downloaded copies when offline.
App privacy
The developer, Umar Rufai, reported these privacy practices to Apple.
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Alternatives to Karatu
Looking for apps like Karatu? Here are 6 similar apps on the App Store. The highest rated is Neetbook - Book Library (5.0/5), and all 6 are free to download.
-
Neetbook - Book Library
5.0
-
WellRead Books
5.0
-
The Last Book Shelf
5.0
-
ForShare Books
-
EpicNovel - popular novels
-
My Audiobook
| App | Rating | Price | Last updated | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karatu | – | Free | May 5, 2026 | |
| Neetbook - Book Library | 5.0 / 5 (1) | Free | May 20, 2025 | Compare |
| WellRead Books | 5.0 / 5 (1) | Free | Apr 16, 2026 | Compare |
| The Last Book Shelf | 5.0 / 5 (6) | Free | Sep 1, 2026 | Compare |
| ForShare Books | – | Free | Feb 13, 2025 | Compare |
| EpicNovel - popular novels | – | Free | May 14, 2024 | Compare |
| My Audiobook | – | Free | Apr 13, 2026 | Compare |
Compare Karatu with the top alternatives: ratings, updates, ASO score and keyword gaps →